[Grammar] Everone HAS/ Have THEIR/HIS or HER/ HIS own circumstances.

[Sahil Dhankhar]

This is not my homework.

Which of the following is/are correct and if more than one are correct, do they have same meaning?

1:- Everyone has his own circumstances.
2:- Everyone has his or her own circumstances.
3:- Everyone has their own circumstances.
4:- Everyone have their own circumstances.

​Thank you in advance for replying.

 

[emsr2d2]

Even though it's not your homework, we would like to know what you think first.

 

[MikeNewYork]

1. This is considered sexist these days, though it used to be standard.
2. Fine.
3. Commonly used today to avoid the gender issue. Some object to the use of a plural pronoun there.
4. Incorrect. "Everyone" is considered singular.

One can avoid the gender issue by phrasing the sentence in the plural.

All people have their own circumstances.

(cross-posted with ems)

 

[Sahil Dhankhar]

I am all at sea.

 

[Sahil Dhankhar]

Sir, If taking some examination related to English Grammar, will it be wrong to use 1 as most grammatically correct sentence (as standard grammar, in my opinion, values rules higher than gender discrimination)?

God forbid if in a grammar test, one has to chose between 1 and 3, which will be your first choice?
:- Are the question marks used in the above two sentences are correct to use?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Between those two, I would choose 3. For me, 2 is the best of the choices given.

 

[emsr2d2]

In a test, I would choose 2. I would never say it in real life. I would use 3.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Hello, Sahil:

I understand your problem.

1. If your teacher is a non-native speaker of English (and if s/he is an older person), there is the strong possibility that your teacher follows traditional rules and sincerely wants to teach you "correct" English. So I guess that you would have to choose (on a test): "Everyone has his own problems."

2. If your teacher is younger (and perhaps has lived abroad for a while), s/he might possibly realize that "Everyone has his or her own problems" is certainly grammatically correct. Such a teacher would probably give you credit on the test.

3. If your teacher were really well-informed about current English, s/he would definitely give you credit for "Everyone has their own problems." On the other hand, if the teacher is using an older book, it is possible that the teacher would refuse to accept the answer.

Therefore, if I were a student in your position, I would choose "his." No fair-minded teacher would mark me down for choosing the traditionally correct answer. As the teachers in this thread have told you, however, do NOT use "his" when you speak with or write to English-speaking people. The most current pronoun nowadays for your kind of sentence is "their."

P.S. Here is way to guess how up-to-date your teacher is. Ask him/her which is correct: "It is I/me." If you teacher says, "I," your teacher may definitely be following traditional rules; if your teacher says, "me," then the chances are that your teacher may be aware of current trends in English.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I disagree. I doubt that there are many/any teachers currently in the field that would accept #1. That use was abandoned decades ago. I believe it began to disappear in the 1960s. That is 50 years ago.

 

[Sahil Dhankhar]

Dear user,

Thank you very much for this detailed elaboration. I live in India and here, people/teachers use everything from standard English language to a makeshift one.
Here in competitive tests, Old rules of British Grammar are considered standard but problem exists when a question paper contains both the options. It is similar as to chose between the devil and the deep-sea.

 

[Sahil Dhankhar]

Dear user,
You forgot to answer this part of the question:- "Are the question marks used in the above two sentences are correct to use?"

 

[Rover_KE]

Are the question marks [STRIKE]used[/STRIKE] in the above two sentences [STRIKE]are correct to use[/STRIKE] used correctly?

Yes.